2018 CAL - Year of the Stitches Blanket

Year of the Stitches – Week 13 Pique Stitch

No Comments

Pique Stitch 

Happy Easter everyone!! Hope the Easter Bunny has visited you all. There’s a serious amount of chocolate being stacked up in this household!! Easter hunts have been going on since Friday. But my daughter seemed to have started the weekend with 4 chocolate eggs already! No idea how she managed that! I think she’s going to need to share all those yumminesses!!

My two did find these feathered friends in between the chocolate this morning. There names are Henry and Penny. I made them with a mix of the super sublime and Toft wool, following the fab Toft pattern. They were found chilling together by the window.

I love how Easter has become such a family affair. All over the country, families are getting together for roast dinners and egg hunts. It’s just wonderful. I know some people boohoo all these celebrations and how commercial they are getting. But do you know what, why not, if it brings families together!

I managed to hold out till Friday to start this beauty. Quite proud of myself that I didn’t cave. I’m really chuffed with how it’s coming along. I think it’s going to be a lovely shawl, but one that you can wear as a scarf. I am seriously loving the yarn from Beregere de France. It’s merino wool and is just stunning!

So this week I have blocked my blanket, as I felt like it was getting a bit wibbly wobbly. It’s definitely worth having a go at blocking! All you need is some long glass headed pins and a flat work surface that you can pin them into. I use children’s foam tiles to block mine, but you could just use a large piece of cardboard. Just make sure that it’s clean.

So start of by wetting your blanket in luke warm water. Then layout your blanket flat onto your surface. Smooth it over with your hands, to get rid of any crinkles and then start pinning your blanket out. You want to make sure that where the blanket is curling a bit that you pin it to where you want it to be. I think someone has walked off with one of my tiles!!! I wonder who that could have been!!

Once you are happy with it, you need to leave it over night to set. Once it’s dry you can get crocheting again. Hope you find it easy to do. Why not have a go after this weeks stitch.

Right so onto this weeks blanket. I have chosen a super stitch called a pique stitch. It’s follows the same kind of pattern as a aligned treble cluster. It’s has quite a cool texture which is made up of treble and half treble stitches sitting on top of one another. Hope you enjoy it.

Stitches –

Chain stitch (ch) – To make a chain, place the yarn over the hook then pull it through the loop on your hook.

Double Crochet (dc) – Insert the hook through the stitch, front to back, then yarn over hook and pull back through stitch. You will have two loops on your hook. Then yarn over your hook and pull through both loops.

Double Crochet Decrease (2dctog) – This is where you crochet two stitches together to decrease the amount of stitches in the round. So insert the hook through the front of the first stitch only (the front V) and then insert again through the front of the second stitch (the front V). Now yarn over your hook and pull it back through both stitches, so you will then have 2 loops on your hook. Yarn over your hook again and pull through both loops. And there is your 2dctog. (Basically 2 double crochet stitches crocheted together.)

Half treble (htr) – A half treble crochet is basically one less movement than a treble. So yarn over hook, insert through space/stitch, yarn over hook, pull back through space/stitch. There should be 3 loops on your hook. Then yarn over hook and pull through all 3 loops.

Pique Stitch (gp) –  Start by placing your yarn over your hook, insert through the stitch, yarn over your hook again and pull through the stitch. Then yarn over your hook again and pull through the first two loops on your hook. Then yarn over your hook and insert back in through the same stitch, yarn over your hook, pull back through, then finally yarn over your hook and pull through all 4 loops.

Supplies –

Right so this week I have chosen a wonderful sublime minty coloured yarn. Decided it was a lovely fresh colour for the new beginnings of Easter and Spring. I have used about 30/40g of this DK yarn, but you can use any kind of DK yarn you wish. You will need your 4mm hook, scissors and blunt ended tapestry needle.

Ok so here we go … 

1 – Right so as usual we are working on the right side of the blanket, so all your little cluster & popcorn stitches should be facing you. We are going to decrease the number of stitches in the blanket, as this is quite a full stitch. So firstly attach your yarn by pulling it through the first stitch, then work 1dc into the same stitch. Then work a further 19dc stitches.

Now work 2dctog. (Don’t forget to check above with the stitches information if you’re unsure of how to work a 2dctog.)

Now work *20dc stitches then 2dctog*. Repeat 7 more times across the row, then work the remaining 14 stitches as double crochet stitches. We have now reduced our stitch number from 210 to 203.

(203)

2 – Ok so turn your blanket and chain 3, then work 1htr into the same stitch.

Now it’s time to work a pique stitch which is known as a Gp stitch in the next stitch. *So to work a Gp stitch place your yarn over your hook, insert through the stitch, yarn over your hook and pull through. Then yarn over your hook again and pull through the first two loops, then yarn over your hook and insert back in through the same stitch, yarn over your hook, pull back through, then finally yarn over your hook and pull through all 4 loops.*

So repeat this process ** across the whole row. (203)

3 – Right, so turn your blanket and chain 3. Then work 1htr into the same stitch. Now work 1gp into each stitch across the row. In the last stitch work 1htr. (203)

Right so there you have the beautiful pique stitch. I hope you have enjoyed this weeks instalment of Year of the Stitches. Wishing you all a wonderful Easter! Hope you all get to do some crocheting with a yummy piece of chocolate in one hand and your crochet hook in the other.

Have a super rest of the Easter festivities everyone.

Happy hooking everyone!!

🌈Xx

Continue Reading

2018 CAL - Year of the Stitches Blanket

Year of the Stitches – Week 11 Spot Stitch

No Comments

Spot Stitch 

Well what a strange week I have had and now it’s snowing again!! I’ve have managed nearly the whole week without going out of the door due to a rather stupid knee injury! Not what you need with a little one year old running around. Luckily for me my wonderful family and friends have stepped in and helped with the school runs and running around after the little guy. It’s been so strange not doing the normal routine!! And being a busy bumbling bee zooming around the place after everyone. I’m used to walking everywhere and getting out and about. I can safely say I have started talking to the furniture  & even putting things in different places to change things about. Makes you realise how lucky you are to have that freedom normally and to not take it for granted!!

One thing I have been able to do is wind wool!! And yes it is attached to my son’s toy!! Whoops!!

On the plus side I have been able to do a bit more crocheting. I’ve even managed to finish a few projects off. The two I am rather happy with are my Easter ducks – Henry and Penny. Quite chuffed with these ones. I was going to make them into super ducks, but I think they are rather nice as they are. I’ve followed the wonderful Toft duck pattern, but used two strands of dk wool to produce a bigger duck. I’m chuffed with Henry’s wings as I’ve mixed a beautiful gradiated silk yarn with the Toft dk wool to create a silky speckled effect. Hopefully they will be well received when found on the Easter egg hunt!

I have also embarked on a new avenue with the world of shawls. I have always wanted to design and create my own and have loved the idea of making intricate shawls for loved ones with their favourite colours. I started one with just simple Grannie square stitch which was nice. But definitely wanted something a bit different, so I’ve opted for the Lost in Time Shawl by Johanna Lindahl. So thought it was time to use my sublime yarn cake.

It’s from the dk Eden range which is a mix of cotton and wool yarn. You use the threads end from the beginning and work your way out. It’s nice not having a massive bag to carry around with you. Hopefully it will turn out well.

I’ve also started another shawl with some magnificent Louisa Harding 4ply merino wool. It’s truly divine, I can’t really describe how soft it is. Not really following a pattern with this one, just having a go. It’s great having all the stitches from the blanket at my finger tips to use.

So onto the blanket. Seriously loving this weeks stitch!! It’s mega!! Loving the look and texture it gives!! Would be great to add to the edges of a jumper, just to give a little extra texture. It isn’t a special stitch, you just need to know how to treble and double crochet. So it’s all good!!

Supplies –

So again you need to choose a double knit yarn of any kind. You roughly need about 30g. This week I have chosen a beautiful pale mauve yarn from once again the mega sublime range!! I think the colour represents my very strange week that I have had, rather well. Don’t forget your scissors and blunt ended tapestry needle. And of course your 4mm crochet hook.

Stitches –

Chain (ch) – To make a chain stitch, make a slip knot on your hook and then place the yarn over your hook and pull through the loop. Repeat this action to make a row of stitches.

Double Crochet (dc) – Insert the hook through the stitch, front to back, then yarn over hook and pull back through stitch. You will have two loops on your hook. Then yarn over your hook and pull through both loops.

Treble 5 Together (tr5tog) – A tr5tog is working 5 trebles together. Firstly yarn over your hook, insert through stitch, yarn over your hook, pull back through stitch. There should now be 3 loops on your hook. Then yarn over hook and pull through the first two loops. Now *yarn over your hook, insert through stitch, yarn over your hook, pull back through stitch. Then yarn over hook and pull through the first two loops.* Repeat ** 3 more times. You should now have 6 loops on your hook. Now yarn over your hook and pull through all 6 loops. This completes your tr5tog.

Treble (tr) – To make a treble crochet, firstly yarn over your hook, insert through space/stitch, yarn over your hook, pull back through space/stitch. There should now be 3 loops on your hook. Then yarn over hook and pull through the first two loops, yarn over hook and pull through the last two loops.

 

Ok so here goes … 

1 – This week you are starting on the right side, so the popcorn stitch little blobs should be facing you. First of all attach your yarn by inserting your hook and pulling the yarn through. Then chain 1 and work 1dc into the same stitch. Then work 1dc into the rest of the stitches. (210)

2 – Now turn your work and chain 1. Then work 1dc into the same stitch.

Now work 1dc into the next 2 stitches. So you are now ready to work your tr5tog into the next stitch. Now I assure you it isn’t as tricky as it sounds. So a tr5tog is basically working 5 trebles together to create only one stitch, to do this you don’t finish the last yarn over hook part of each of the trebles. So here goes, firstly yarn over your hook and insert through the stitch then yarn over and pull back through the stitch, then as usual yarn over your hook and pull through 2 loops. You now have 2 loops left like the picture below. You are going to leave the loop on the hook and start working the next treble.

*So yarn over your hook, insert through stitch, yarn over and pull back through, then yarn over and pull through 2 loops.* You now should have 3 loops on your hook. Repeat this process ** 3 more times till you have 6 loops on your hook. Here’s what mine looked like at this stage.

Now for the final part of the tr5tog you need to put your yarn over your hook and pull through all 6 loops on your hook. This creates the spot stitch.

Now you need to work 1dc into the next 3 stitches. You can see here that my hook is going into the first of the 3 stitches.

So here you have your 3dc stitches.

Repeat *tr5tog then 1dc in the next 3 stitches* across the row. In the last 2 stitches, work a tr5tog and then 1dc in the last stitch. This completes your first row. (210)

3 – Right so for the last row this week, you are going to turn your work, chain 1 and work 1 dc in the same stitch. Then work 1 dc in each stitch across the row. Here you can fasten off your yarn and see in your ends. (210)

If you really liked this stitch, you could repeat rows 2 and 3.

I really hope you have enjoyed this weeks instalment of Year of the Stitches. I’m hoping I am back on my feet next week.

Don’t forget to give us a shout if you need any help.

Happy hooking everyone!!

🌈Xx

 

Continue Reading